Lighting fixture



W. SYMMES LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Jan. 22, 1951 INVENTOR.

BY m

ATTORNEY Patented July 11, 1933 UNITED STATES WHITMAN SYMHES, 01' SAN FRANCISCO.'CALIFOBNIA LIGHTING FIXTURE Application filed January 2:, mi. Serial no. 510,485.

This invention relates to devices of indirect and semi-indirect lighting fixtures in which a lamp having an incandescent filament, through which an electric current may be passed, is surrounded by a hollow member which forms the main body of the fixture, and

which generally acts also to reflect light upwards to the ceiling, and it relates also to the type of lighting fixture in which rays of m hght are permitted to pass downward through an opening in the main body for illumination laterally of the undersurface of the'fixture portions which, otherwise, would appear dark and less attractive.

This application relates to andis an improvement on nli y co-pending applications eventuating in atents Nos. 1,793,725 and 1,790,179. I

Among the objects of this invention are to all provide a lighting fixture having a body screen of pleasing form, which can be cheaply manufactured by cutting from sheet material and joining by suitable methods, such as soldering or spot welding instead of necessitating the expensive practice of spinning to form, which is prohibitive in cost'for fixtures of large proportions; to provide a lighting fixture having a main body member which can be made in a variety of desigps, by cutting from sheet metal, and so that w en formed into a main fixture body, the exterior thereof will represent a plane or planes uncurved in more than one plane for ease and convenience in stencilin or otherwise decorating the exterior sur ace; to provide an auxiliary body means around the glaring portion of the illuminating lamp WlllCh prqects above the main body and without materially interfering with the direct passage of light rays from the lamp to the ceili for downwardly directing the light ra s and to partially shield from View said di using portion; to illuminate the undersideof the fixture members which are out of contact with i the direct light rays without exposing the source of light to normal view; to prevent partly in vertical section, of the lower portion and I walls i th to 'd diii'usln o t' 8 room 9 a g p r Ion 13, three being shown in the present instance.

under or shaded side of the fixture bodies, and, generally, to improve upon lighting fixtures for electric lamps of the incandescent type. n

With the above mentioned and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction withp in the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

To more clearly comprehend'the invention, reference is directed to the accompanying drawing, wherein- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation partly in vertical section.

F Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure of Fig. 3 is a broken view in side elevation,

of modified form of fixture.

Referring more particularly to the drawmg, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts-10 is a lamp fitted in a socket 11 which has a hood 12 surrounding the same, and from which the lamp may be supported by suitable and well known means.

Preferably, the hood is of sufiicient length vertically to enclose the neck portion of the lamp, so that horizontal vision of said neck portion is obscured.

Extending downwardly and flaring outwardly, following somewhat the contour ofthe bulb of lamp- 10 are a plurality of arms These arms are hingedly. connected to the hood 12 by being bent upon themselves, as at 14, to pass through eyelets 15, and each is provided at its lower end with an eye 16 having screw threads for the reception of reflection of light rays direct from the transscrews 7 which pass through. an annular lucent difl'usion' member to the underside of band 18 which depends from 'a main body 50 said hi ture; to provide for color toning the 19, which may characterized as a reflector and shade, since it reflects upwardly and shades downwardly.

The main body member may be of circular, polygonal or other shape in horizontal section, which in accordance with my invention has side walls which flare upwardly and outwardly, along straight lines between alower opening 20 and an upper opening 21, that is, it is not curved in vertical section. This body is provided with an inner or upper reflecting surface 22, while its outer or lower surface 19 is preferably made nonreflecting, and enameled or otherwise ornamented, so as to give a pleasing effect. The object of this straight line flare of the body 19 is to cause the directlight rays from the lamp impinging on the reflecting surface 22 to be projected symmetrically and with a uniformity of effulgence against the ceiling and to permit lateral rays of light to be directed to the side walls of a room with the least possible obstruction consistent with the features of the fixture and without the streaks and shadows produced by body Walls which have a curved term in vertical section. In this preferred embodiment, the flare or tapered portion of the side walls is shown as formed on straight lines in planes of di'derent angles to vertical axis of the fixture, since experiment has de rmined that a even uniform and radially outward reflection is obtained by this form.

A second advantage of liorming the body side walls on straight lines is it permits of ornamentation with stencil or plastic or metal appliques of outer or lower visible surface 19", without bending of the decorative material if the main body is polygonal, or with only one curve the main body is arcuate in horizontal cross section. While the main body 19 may be of any suitable material it is preferred to use in the manufacture thereof, thin sheet metal, since it lends itself to the making of bodies of desired sizes without expensive dies or spinning and be cause of said material being opaque.

This form of main body is well adapted to accomplish a uniform distribution of the direct rays from the incandescent lamp filament against and throughout the area of the ceiling and down upon the side walls to a level corresponding the horizontal plane of rim 23, and for this reason, as well as other reasons hereafter described, 1t 1s desired that the incandescent filament of the lamp should be positioned below the horizontal plane of rim 23.

The main body of the reflector shade 19 is suitably mounted as a part ofthe fixture by screws 17 extending through openings 25 in the annular band 18 and therewithin engage the threaded eyes 16 of arms 13.

Mounted in spaced axially aligned underlying relation to the lower opening 20 of omers the main body is asecond body member or pan, generally indicated 27, which may be made in various forms as an entirety and which has an opaque peripheral portion 28 in the horizontal plane, the opaque peripheral portion being of greater diameter than the diameter of the opening 20. The member 27 has a vertically disposed perimetral rim 29, preferably opaque, which extends up wardly from the horizontal plane when member 27 is mounted underlying the opening 20. The member 27 is mounted in said spaced relation in any suitable and convenient manner, and, as shown, is provided with hooks 30 having shanks spot-welded or otherwise secured as at 31 to the inner surface oi the peripheral portion 28 of member 27.

The shank is formed upwardly and then horizontally upon itself so as to provide a needle 32 in spaced relation to the peripheral portion 28 and adapted to engage the eyelet 33 suitably aiiixed to the band 18. Thus the member 27 may be easily and conveniently secured to or removed from the main body by axial rotation.

The books 30 are of such length and position when the member 2? is mounted to the fixture, the upper portion of the periplr 23 intersects the horizon n low o l8 roviding and or no, so a i ring from removed ings below the horizontal plane but perfrom the l .1 r? .J 1- .,5i l coon Loin the inner suiiace of the grieral portion 01" member 27 to the under outer urface or the main body 19 i'or s purposes of illuminating same and thus make an artistic desirable fixture, especially when said outer surface is decorated.

its shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the member 27 is provided wit an axially radial opening 34 adapted as by shoulder 85 to receive therein a translucent light difiusing member 36, made of suitable form fit said opening, and preferably being" a flat glass disc. This translucent member 36 will allow difiusion of light rays from the lamp toward the floor for the purpose of illuminating the lower ortion of a room without causing glare or the light, and at the same time the translucent member 36 reflects the light upward through the openings of the fixture body to reduce absorption losses and secure a higher degree of direct ray illumination in the upper part of the room.

Depending from the periphery of the opening 34 of member 27, and preferably disposed the fixture and this skirt ma be optionally provided with openings 38 tween which and the translucent member may be positionedtinted celluloid or other translucent material for the purpose of illuminatin the under or shaded surface of the perip eral portion of member 28, and is preferred to be concave in vertical cross section. (See Fig.

1). The radially inner portion of band 39 is in spaced relation to the translucent member 36 so as topermit light rays to pass thereunder and to the peripheral portion of the translucent member and by which the dual objects are accomplished of permitting the use of a larger translucent member while also eliminating the very undesirable whitish reflection which occurs from a translucent member, such as glass, to the underside of the main body surface 19. The concave band 39 may be an integral structure, but, for convenience of manufacture and ease of fitting same over theshankrof hooks 30, said band has been disclosed as formed of two pieces, the piece 39 having its periphery beneath the shank of hook 30, and the piece 39 lying thereover with slots 39 adapted to permit the upraised portion of the hook to pass the'rethrough. p

In Fig. 3 a modification of the member 27 is shown, wherein band 29 is made integral with an opaque body portion 28, which preferably is of straight lines in vertical cross section and tapers downward from its upper edge towards its radial axis, and which is provided with an opening 41 centrally of its body. Beneath the opening 41 and in vertically spaced underlying relation thereto is a cover plate 42, preferably of opaque material, which is of greater diameter than the opening 41. Light rays are permitted to pass through the opening 41 and a portion thereof is reflected, laterally, from the inner surface of the cover 42 to the under or outer surface of body. portion 28.

The cover 42 is adapted to completely or at least substantially close the opening in a vertical plane but to leave it open in horizontal plane, so that direct rays of light are not visible through the opening from points in or below the horizontal plane.

Within the periphery of member 27 either directly upon the surface thereof, as in Fig. 3, or upon the concave upper surface of the band 39, as in Fig. 2, may be applied a pigment coating, indicated by stippling 43, and similar coatings may likewise be applied to the inner surfaces of member 42 and body 19.

The purpose of this coating is to receive rays from the lamp and reflect them to the outer surface of the body next above to modifythe glare of the reflection thereagainst or to give color tones to said outer sur aces exposed to view. i

,Mounted in a suitable manner, as I by shouldersor steps 44 of arms 13 is an auxiliary shade or screen'45 which may be made .of varying diameters. In practice, however, it is preferred that the screen 45 be of lesser diameter at its top than the body 19, but, in any event, it is to be smaller in diameter at its bottom than the diameter of the body 19 at its top opening.

. The shoulders or steps 44 are so positioned so that the base or bottom of screen45 will be located approximately flush or' in alignment with the horizontal plane of mainbody 19. The screen 45 is open at its top and bot tom and has side walls 46 on a straight line in vertical cross section, said side walls being tapered at an angle which, from opposing sides of the screen would intersect substantially in the incandescent filament 10 of the lamp, so that the side walls are substantially on radial lines to the filament.

Practically such filamentsare not theoretical points but occupy space and are not mathematically precise in different lamps. However, what is intended is that the screen is placed edge-on to the lamp, so that the least possible obstruction is offered to the passage of direct light rays laterally, consistent with screening the lamp from View in or below the horizontal plane and the narrowest possible surface being presented to the direct line of light rays and thereby eliminating the possibility of shadows from the screen 45 on ceiling or side walls of a room.

The screen 45 in the preferred illustrated embodiment has a conical frustum but the shape thereof is susceptible of variations to other shapes in horizontal cross section, such as stars or polygons, so long as the vertical cross section of the side walls are on substantially straight lines and disposed edgeon to the lamp filament on substantially radial lines of direct light rays from the lamp filament.

It is to be assumed that the inner or upper faces of the members 19, 45, 27 and 42 are for the purpose of reflecting light rays and that the lower or undersurfaces thereof arepreferably for ornamentation and pleasing appearance of the fixture, and are preferably non-reflecting. The respective faces would obviously be surfaced with the aforesaid purposes in mind.

As the screen 45 and major portion of the main body 19 flare on straight lines between bottom and top edges, there is no intermingling of the direct rays, such as occurs in curved reflectors to cause streaks or shadows, and a maximum of direct light rays are permitted to pass laterallyfrom the lamp filament on both sides of the reflector 45, with a minimum of obstruction.

I claim: a v

1. In a lighting fixture, the combination with a lam havin a bulb ortion, of a main-reflecting sha e surroun ing the bulb portion of the lamp, said shade being open at its top and bottom, a reflecting pan member mounted in vertical spaced underlying relation to the bottom opening and of greater diameter than said bottom opening, an axially radial opening in said pan member, a light diffusing member disposed in said radial opening the peripheral portion of said pan member ing formed upwardly and spaced radially outwardly from the periphery of the shade at said bottom opening and said upformed portion intersecting the projected horizontal lane of the bottom of said shade, a band or concave vertical cross section disposed within said upformed portion, and means for releasably-connecting said ,an with said shade.

.2. n a li hting fixture, the combination with a lamp having a bulb portion, of a main reflecting shade surrounding the bulb per-- tion of the lamp, said shade being open at its top and bottom, a reflecting pan member mounted in vertical spaced underlying rela tion to the'bottom opening and of greater diameter than said bottom opening, an axially radial opening in said pan member, a light diffusing member disposed in said radial opening, the peripheral portion of saidpan member being formed upwardly and spaced radially outwardly from the periphery of the shade at said bottom opening and said upformed portion intersecting the projected horizontal plane of the bottom of said shade, a band of concave vertical cross section disposed within said upiormed portion, and an annular skirt fixed to said pan member adjacent said radial opening in the pan and extending vertically downwardly therefrom.

3. A lighting, fixture com rising a support for an electric lamp, a he low main body member open at its top and bottom and surrounding said lamp, a pan member mounted in vertically spaced underlying relation to the bottom opening and of greater diameter than said bottom opening, an axially radial opening in said pan member, a light difiusing member disposed in said radial opening, the peripheral portion of said pan member being formed upwardlyand spaced radially outwardly from the periphery of the main body at the said bottom opening, said up formed portion intersecting the projected horizontal plane of the bottom of said main bbdy, a band of concave vertical cross section disposed within said upformed portion, an'dmeans whereby said pan and said main body may be releasably connected by rela tive rotation on the radial axis thereof.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature:

' WHITMAN SYMMES.

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